Broadside Sports

Brian T. Chan, Sports Editor

On your mark, get set, go! For junior Kimmy Moss, a member of the women’s soccer team and track team, the world, in a continuous motion, features dynamic characteristics.

While her athleticism is vastly beneficial to her success, Moss’ ability to adjust and turn the corner from start to finish has been equally vital in her role as a two-sport athlete.

Moss, a tri-sport athlete when she attended Broad Run High School, was named to the first-team All-Met, All-State, All-District and All-Region in her junior and senior seasons and garnered District Player of the Year honors in her junior year while amassing 12 goals and 47 assists in her four years with the Spartans.
Moss came to George Mason University looking for the opportunity in soccer to be part of a competitive team and to contribute individually.

“I definitely wanted to play Division I soccer, but [since Mason is] not at the bottom and not necessarily at the top tier like the ACC teams, I knew coming in I could play and be an immediate impact,” said Moss.
In her first year with Mason, Moss started three of her 14 appearances and managed only three shots, being held pointless for the entire season.

Moss emerged in the 2008 season with a team-leading two game-winning goals, but the Patriots continued to struggle, concluding the season with a meager 5-12-1 overall record and a 2-8-1 conference record.

Despite the two sub-par seasons in soccer, Moss was still passionate about the first sport she ever played. However, she decided to take a slightly different route.

“After having [two rough seasons], I was like ‘You know what? I love competing, but I’m really frustrated with how the season ended; I don’t want to have an awful season, so I’m going to try to walk on for the track team,’” said Moss.

Moss, who last ran cross country in her sophomore year of high school, first considered running for the track team during a family trip.

“The idea came to me when I was apple picking with my family, and with two weeks left to go, it just stuck with me,” said Moss.

“I talked to Coach [Andrew] Gerard and Coach [Sita] Waru-Ewell, the long distance coach, and I talked to my soccer coach, and they were like ‘Why not? You can do this.’”

With a year-round training regimen, Moss is able to keep in shape. Whereas most athletes concentrate on a particular sport, Moss has been known for her well-rounded athleticism. Moss believes that her skillset is what makes her suitable for both soccer and track.

“I think the running and soccer thing complement one another,” said Moss, “probably more so with track crossing over to soccer because I have this endurance with running, and when I get on the soccer field, I’m so fit.”

While Moss credits much of her athletic ability to her endurance, she believes that it originates in her passion for playing sports and staying fit.

“For soccer, [my biggest strength is] my endurance, just being like an Energizer bunny on the field, but I think more than anything, I’m really passionate,” said Moss.

“Racing is different from track. At the end of the race, you’re literally and physically exhausted. That’s when you show character. I’m still learning to squeeze out every ounce of energy in a race.”

After primarily spending most of her life in soccer, running long distances and changing directions to the movement of the ball for 90 minutes, Moss has also gone through making adjustments in both sports.

To read the full story visit connect2
mason.com.